Language
Spanish
Subtitles
Hebrew & English
About
It is an age-old dance, an ancient ritual. Spectators surround an arena, gazes locked on its two occupants: man and beast, matador and bull, each alone in his way. In extended, meticulous shots, the camera follows charismatic Peruvian star Andrés Roca Rey, showing him before and after: in the car en route to the fight, in the luxurious hotel as he gets squeezed into the vibrant, tight-fitting outfit, soon to be stained and torn, and in the bullring, sweat streaming down his face as the sand turns blood-red. In his documentary debut, Albert Serra (The Death of Louis XIV), a Catalan filmmaker known for his radical artistic vision, portrays the bullfighter’s life as a sublime theater of cruelty and beauty, arresting in its aesthetic. This film invites contemplation and trusts the awestruck viewers, cast as witnesses and participants, to form their own moral judgments.